I could not believe what I was hearing on the news Thursday night about the Green Fund withdrawing its support for Plastikeep, an NGO that has had an admirable record of achievement, and virtually turning its back on the whole concept of plastic recycling.
Plastikeep is a model NGO, totally committed to a holistic approach to recycling. One of the many things they do is conduct meaningful awareness programmes for schools to the extent that children now insist that their parents follow and maintain a recycling culture. We in St Ann’s/Cascade have experienced this in our own community’s 12 primary schools. Every two by four country in the world is 100 per cent committed to the recycling of waste matter and plastics in particular.
It cannot be lack of funding that you people can claim, you have been taxing businesses for the last 10 years or more for the so-called Green Fund. That is, unless you have squandered the billions that you’ve collected because it surely didn’t go to Plastikeep.
When our community launched its recycling programme in June 2011 with a depot at Scout HQ we felt so proud that our Government had committed itself to such a noble cause, although far behind little Barbados which unlike us, has in place a system where plastic collected anywhere by anyone earns cash. This was something the Green Fund has talked about over and over for the last six years but has done absolutely nothing about it. The streets and public parks in Barbados are spotless. We cannot boast about that.
All I can say is shame, shame, shame on you! And further, you owe T&T an explanation...and it better be good.
Derek Johnson
Cascade